Release Date Notification System

Abstract

An application software for smartphones and tablets works with a cooperating website. The app will compile a calendar and notify the user of the dates of release or availability of selected events, media and/or products, based on a targeted item database compiled by the user and stored locally on the smart device as well as remotely accessible through the website. Items can be added to the database by voice commands or keyboard entries to the smart device or by password-protected website access. Each time the app is activated, it contacts the website to launch a web crawler which retrieves and/or updates the relevant release dates. Optionally, the app/website can also retrieve price information, determine the lowest price vendor, and complete purchase transactions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method to give a user a notification of a release date of a targeted item, the method comprising:
 (a) Providing a computer device having one or more display components and one or more user interfaces;   (b) providing a website accessible by the computer device, wherein the website has a web-crawler module and a database module;   (c) providing an application software program which runs on the computer device, obtains user inputs through the user interfaces, accesses the website, and controls the display components;   (d) operating the user interfaces to provide one or more user inputs, which designate the targeted item and request the notification of the release date of the targeted item;   (e) using the application software program to convert the user inputs to targeted item data and to send the targeted item data to the website;   (f) upon reception of the targeted item data by the website, storing the targeted item data in the database module and activating the web-crawler module to periodically search the internet for release date data pertaining to the targeted item;   (g) using the web-crawler module to find and copy the release date data pertaining to the targeted item;   (h) storing the release date data in the database module so as to incorporate the release date data in the targeted item data;   (i) using the application software program to access the targeted item data and to translate the targeted item data into one or more release data notifications displayed or heard, or displayed and heard, on the display components of the computer device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising the additional step (e*), between steps (e) and (f);
 (e*) upon reception of the targeted item data by the website, sending a receipt confirmation message to the computer device, and using the application software program to cause the receipt confirmation message to be displayed or heard, or displayed and heard, on the display components of the computer device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the website further comprises a targeted item purchase module, for which a purchasing link is included in the release date notifications, such that, when the purchasing link is activated, the purchase module accesses one or more vendor websites wherein the targeted item can be purchased. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the purchase module completes the purchase of the targeted item on one of the vendor websites based on payment data inputted through the user interfaces.